In a Nutshell: A nice, plush, refined, well-built SUV......but not that much nicer than the smaller, cheaper Santa Fe.

Several years ago, Hyundai, one of the world's fastest-growing automakers, and one with a rapidly improving reputation for quality and value, decided to enter the car-based SUV market with the first Santa Fe. Having never done a body-on-frame, truck-based SUV like domestic SUV manufacturers, Hyundai chose a unibody, car-based SUV line from the start. The first-generation Santa Fe was introduced as an Elantra-based vehicle to compete primarily with the Toyota RAV-4 and Honda CRV, although, unlike the Elantra (and also unlike the RAV-4 and CR-V), the Santa Fe came in both FWD 4 and AWD V6 versions. The first Santa Fe was generally well-built, though it did not quite show the rock-solid reliability of its Toyota and Honda competition...indeed, the CR-V, for several years running, was Consumer Reports' most reliable SUV and one of its most reliable vehicles, period.

The first-generation Santa Fe had different.....and somewhat controversial... styling in its hood, fenders, grille, instrument panel, and door panel. It generally drove well, but, to my ears at least, had a fair amount of road, tire, and suspension noise. The design of its rear cargo area was not particularly space-efficient either. But it got Hyundai's foot in the door of the SUV market, and, despite a few slips here and there in driving refinement, won over a lot of satisfied customers (my pastor was one of them... he took home a brand-new 4-cylinder FWD model for less than $16,000).


Despite the success of the first-generation Santa Fe, Hyundai marketers felt that there was room at the bottom for a smaller, cheaper SUV, and the Tucson, also based on the Elantra platform but shorter and narrower than the Santa Fe, was born. The Tucson, like the Santa Fe, was offered in FWD 4 and AWD V6 versions. (Hyundai, unlike other manufacturers, does not feel that small nonturbo fours have enough torque for AWD, and therefore does not offer that combo). The Tucson, being as tall as the Santa Fe but narrower, was tipsier-feeling in sharp turns, but not dangerous (see my CAR CHAT review of the Tucson). It was also more conventionally-styled inside and out than the Santa Fe, but still kept a Santa-Fe-like puppy pug-nosed front end styling. A sister Kia version called the Sportage was also introduced. Unlike the earlier Santa Fe, both the Tucson and the Sportage got off to a rocky start in the reliability area, with Consumer Reports rating the first models both well-below-average, but in one of the more puzzling auto stories that I cannot answer, the Tucson's reliability rapidly improved by the end of its first year, to above average, while the virtually identical Sportage's did not.(This is especially puzzling since the two of them are built in the same factory).

So, of course, to allow the Tucson and Sportage to take the entry-level customers, the Santa Fe was totally redesigned and moved upmarket. The second-generation Santa Fe, based on the Sonata platform, was, IMO, a vast improvement over the first (see my review). It was aimed primarily at the Ford Explorer in size and features, though the Explorer, of course, has off-road capability and is truck-based, where the new Santa Fe, like the original one, is strictly car-based and more limited than the Explorer in off-road capability. Those of you who read my review of the second-generation Santa Fe know that I was very impressed with that vehicle's quality, refinement, and road manners, really criticizing it for only one thing....slow steering response.

All of this above, of course, brings us to the subject of this review, the Hyundai Veracruz. Hyundai's marketers, eyeing the success of the Lexus RX series and Acura's MDX, decided to go to work on an even larger, more plush, and more upmarket SUV...the Veracruz, using, of course, the experience and the lessons learned with the Tucson/Sportage and both generations of the Santa Fe (and, by inference, Kia's Sorento as well, which fit in a niche between the Tucson/Sportage and Santa Fe).

Three models of the Veracruz are offered, all based on the Azera platform.....the GLS, SE, and Limited. All three come with the same 3.8L V6 offered in the Azera, a 6-speed, Sport-Shift automatic, and choice of FWD or AWD. As I already had experience with Hyundai's AWD systems, on dry pavement, in the earlier Tucson and Santa Fe reviews, and since much has been written and hyped recently in the auto press comparing the Veracruz to the non-hybrid Lexus RX350, I chose a top-level Limited FWD model with a special Black/Saddle Brown leather interior package (and the brown leather was gorgeous). This Ultimate Package package also included almost everything you could want.....Rear DVD entertainment system, Infinity Logic 7 stereo-surround, power-adjustable foot pedals, power tilt/telescope wheel, proximity key, Lighted metallic door scuff plates, and more.....in addition, of course, to the rich-looking brown leather. I felt that by driving and reviewing an ultra-plush version like this, it would be a real test of whether the pundits are correct or not.....if this vehicle can indeed compare with the RX.

With a vehicle like this, of course, goes a fairly hefty price tag, though a FWD model like this is slightly less (roughly 2K) than a comparable AWD model. Even so, this, by far, was easily the most expensive Korean-badged vehicle I have ever driven or reviewed. Base price is over 32K and my particular vehicle listed at over 36K. That, of course, buys you a LOT of SUV for the money, though..........comparable models from Acura and Lexus can easily run over 40K, and from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, much more than that. And, of course, with a Hyundai product, you get that famous long Hyundai warranty as well (only transferable to immediate family members).

So.....how does this ultra-plush Korean stack up to its Asian and European competitors, and more important, against its downmarket brother Santa Fe?

For the answers, read on.

Model Reviewed: 2008 Hyundai Veracruz Limited

Base Price: $32,305

Major Options:
Ultimate Premium Black/Saddle Package $3200

Freight: $690

List Price as Reviewed: $36,525

Drivetrain: Transverse-mounted 3.8L V6, 260 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque 257 ft.lbs. @ 4500 RPM, FWD, 6-speed automatic transmission with Sport Shift.

Exterior Color: Satin Beige

Interior: Black/Saddle Leather


PLUSSES:

Lexus-like refinement and quiet at lower speeds.

Precision, Swiss-watch assembly quality.

Smooth, refined power in the lower gears.

Superb braking feel.

Many power-adjustable accessories and convienence features.

Choice of key or keyless igniton.

Superb interior hardware, apart from the steering wheel.

Slick, buttery feel of interior switches and controls.

Rear-seat climate control system.

Smart-looking interior and exterior trim.

Near-perfection in exterior hardware.

Flat cornering for an SUV.

Excellent paint job.

Attractive wood paneling.

Smooth-shifting transmission.

Gorgeous Chocolate-Brown Saddle leather seats.

Long Hyundai warranties.



MINUSES:


Transverse V6 engine mount makes the AWD system more complex than necessary.

Unnecessary and deceptive plastic engine cover.

Numb, slow steering.

Ride slightly stiffer than necessary.

Flimsy steering wheel-mounted radio and cruise controls.

Wind noise increases noticeably with speed.

Distracting, too-large bright blue odometer and shift indicator.

Seats not particularly supportive.

Stereo sound varies with function and station.

Awful paint colors.

The first impression of this vehicle, as you walk up to it, is that it is somewhat less squared-off and boxy than the second-generation Santa Fe brother. In fact, though the interior styling is quite different, the exterior styling, in several ways, is reminiscent of the Lexus RX350 that it attempts to compete against, especially in the roofline, liftback, and hood/grille. As is custom with many SUV's, there is a belt of dark gray plastic/vinyl body cladding that runs around the entire lower part of the vehicle, up and over the wheel wells, and under both the front and rear ends to help ward off paint damage from road debris and salt. The exterior hardware is superb.....better than on a number of Lexus and Acura products I've seen. The snick-snick action and snap lock-in and out feel of the folding exterior mirrors is probably the best I've seen yet, and approaches what I call perfection. The grille mesh is classy, durable, and fits perfectly. Everything on the outside feels like it was put on to last, though the flat-black, thin plastic rear wiper arm is about average for most vehicles these days. The exterior paint is very close to (not quite) Lexus-quality, though the awful (IMO) colors offered were almost enough to make me choke... the only two shades I could stomach were the Blue Titanium and the Stone (semi-pearl) White. The vehicle sits tall, as is the custom for
SUV's, with plenty of ground clearance for mud/snow and a standard roof rack with the optional cross rails adding a couple of inches to the overall height. All four doors close with a solid, precision sound, and though the vehicle sits fairly tall, running boards would not be needed for most people. In fact, my test vehicle had lighted scuff plates that showed you just where to put your feet at night to make it easier to get in and out. The doors are opened and closed with smart-looking, well-chromed outside door handles (no cheap, rippled "chrome" like on Chrysler
products).


Open the gas-strut supported hood, and there is both good and bad. The transverse-mounted 3.8L V6 fits in fairly well, and the primary dipsticks and fluid containers are easy enough to get to (as is the uncovered battery right up in the front-right corner in front of you, but not only does the big, plastic engine cover hide most of the engine components, but some moron in the Hyundai styling department decided he or she was going to insult your intelligence by mounting the cover 90 degrees, fore-and aft, on the sideways-mounted engine to try and make you think that the engine was mounted that way. Why ANYONE in the auto business would do this is beyond me.....and that is NOT the way to impress new customers.


Get in, shut the door, and a nice, NICE interior awaits you.....this is no econobox. The chocolate-brown leather on the seats and door-trim inserts (part of the Ultimate Black/Saddle package), as I mentioned earlier, is just gorgeous. So are the beautiful wood trim strips and the smart silver-metallic accents and panels on the center-dash, console, and gauge rings......none of that El Cheapo silver painted-plastic that I have panned in a number of other vehicles. In fact, I personally liked the looks and feel of this interior more than on some Jaguars and Audis, generally considered the industry leaders in interior fit-and-finish. All of the switches and buttons except the cheap-feeling ones on the steering wheel had a high-quality look, finish, and precision feel to them. The gauges, as with most Hyundais, were clear, simple, and easy-to read, with the ubiquitous Hyundai blue speedometer ring, white numbers, and red needles. The air-conditioning, while not quite Lexus-ice-cold, was more than up to the task (assisted by a rear-seat unit with separate controls as slick as those up front and a cooled drink holder in the lower part center console flip-up). The interior hardware was solid, slick, and well-attached, except for the aforementioned steering wheel trim and buttons.....though, curiously, the interior door handles in this plush-mobile were black instead of chrome. There was adequate headroom, front and rear for even tall people (yes, even with the sunroof, and even with my ever-present cap on), and legroom and foot space for the driver was no problem. With the power-adjustable foot pedals, power tilt/telescope wheel, and multi-power adjustable seats, almost anyone can get comfortable in this car. Headroom and legroom in the rear, for the most part, is almost as good as up front.....the Lexus-like roofline starts its downward droop far enough back to avoid crunching the top of most moderately tall people. The XM-equipped stereo, however, is rather odd in its performance. My test vehicle had the optional Infinity Surround-Sound system, but the sound quality varied quite a bit, depending on the mode and station selected......from just acceptable to superb, Mark Levinson-style sound. In fact, the interior on this vehicle was so superb that I found very little to complain about. Just three things.....the rather flat seat cushions that didn't give much support; the too-large, too-bright blue distracting speedometer/odometer and shift indicator lights (this is also common to some other Hyundais as well); and the less-than-perfect steering wheel trim and buttons.

In back, open the power-operated liftback with the remote key, and the hatch opens to reveal a cargo area almost as well-finished as the rest of the
cabin. Nice, high-quality carpet is used, hardware and tie-downs are durable and also of very high quality. The solid-feeling floor panel flips up on well-designed hinges to reveal a multi-compartment underneath, first-aid kit, and the tire-change tools (made less-likely to be needed with the standard tire-pressure monitoring system). An electrical outlet is built into the right wall panel (a switch on the dash turns it on and off), with a cubby-compartment right next to it. The 50/50 split third-row seats have simple well-designed release levers built into the seatbacks...both seats drop right down into the floor, Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey-style, for extra cargo room. However, like most third-row seats (and I'll be honest here) the average NBA guy or NFL lineman is not going to fit...they are primarily for children or small adults. If needed, though, the second-row seats can fold as well for even more cargo room. After you're done in back, the power-liftgate drops back down automatically with the push of a button....just make sure, of course, that your head is out of the way.


OK...time to drive. Start it up with either the proximity key stuck into the igniton switch, conventional-style or, with the key in the vicinity, twist the Mazda-style grip-knob built into the switch.....your choice. The quiet, refined 3.8L V6 (Hyundai's largest U.S.-market production engine) settles into an almost Lexus-smooth idle. Slip the wood-trimmed shifter (part of the Ultimate package) back into Drive and go. The engine is relatively quiet, smooth, and has good pin-you-to-the-seat torque in first and second gears, then drops off noticeably as the gear ranges climb. Remember, though, that this is a FWD version I was driving.....the AWD version, with its greater weight and drag, may not be quite as jack-rabbit like in the lower gears, and, of course, being new engines I'm usually reviewing, I don't floor the gas pedal or go much over 4000 RPM.


The transmission, like the engine, was smooth and quiet, with virtually unnoticeable shifts, though in manual mode, they are slightly more discernable than in full-automatic. The shifter, like most of the rest of the interior hardware, had a smooth, solid, precise feel.

The steering is one of the vehicle's major weak points....I was not impressed with it at all. True, the Veracruz is not designed to be a sports car, and you don't expect Miata-style responsiveness from a 7-passenger, comfort-oriented SUV, but even so, and even concerning the level of ride stiffness (more on that in a second) I expected more than the slow, numb, school-bus feel that the steering exhibited in turns. You have to TURN this wheel to get any response, and the way overboosted power-steering pump robs you of any road feel at all....the novocaine my dentist uses gives you more feedback.

I could understand the school-bus handling and lack of response if it had a marshmallow, pillow-soft ride, but that is not quite the case. Again, the ride is far from being sports-car harsh, but, by the seat of my pants, it is noticeably firmer than that of its little-brother Santa Fe, which is almost cloud-like. Not uncomfortable by any means, but bumps are noticeable.

The noise level and general refinement is Lexus-quiet at low speeds, and tire and road noise is well-muted at all normal speeds, but a slight whoosh of wind noise starts to set in at, say, around 45-50 MPH....and builds as speed inceases. Still, it is quiet enough to easily enjoy the good stereo...when the stereo, as earlier mentioned, performs at its best.

The handling, outside of the already-mentioned slow steering response and numb feel, is generally pretty good. Sharp cornering is flatter and with noticeably less lean than the Santa Fe (probably because of the added suspension firmness). A electronic stability system, of course, is standard in all three versions of the Veracruz, to help keep things from getting out of hand in this high-center-of-gravity vehicle.

The brakes are superb in their feel and response, especially compared to the squishy, spongy feel in some other Hyundai products. You won't get Porsche stopping distances, but the pedal has a nice, firm, German-type feel, great modulation, smoothness and evenness of response, and, especially with the adjustable pedals, does NOT have the problems I have in some vehicles have with my big size 15's catching on the brake pedal all the time (the brake and gas pedals in the Lotus Elise that I drove last week, for example, were just absurd for a foot my size).



The Verdict?

Hyundai, as is the case with most of its newer vehicles, has done a pretty nice job designing and engineering this vehicle, and some of its features, like the brakes and general interior/exterior fit-and finish and quality trim, go even beyoned nice.....into the region of superb. It has enough noise and vibration control and refinement at lower speeds to be serious competition to the Lexus RX350, which was one of Hyundai's main goals. And it rivals some Lexus products in the quality of its assembly.

But the work on this vehicle is not done. The steering system needs less overboost and a faster ratio in the rack-and-pinion. The suspension, while not uncomfortable in its present form, could use a little less firmness in the springs and shocks.......the body-roll is effective enough to allow a little more give. The seat cushions need a little better shape and a little better padding, though they are OK in their present form for wide butts like mine. And, please.....is it too much to ask to give us more than a couple of decent paint colors and a plastic engine cover that actually FITS the engine?

So, yes, the Veracruz compares favorably with some more expensive SUV's, but of course, the Limited version with the special interior that I tested was not exactly inexpensive in itself...particularly for a Korean-designed vehicle. But the most interesting comparison that I was able to make, as I said in my "In a Nutshell" opening statement, was not so much a comparison of the Veracruz against other SUV's from other manufacturers, but against its little brother Santa Fe. The V6 Santa Fe offers much of the veracruz's luxury and refinement at a lower price, actually has a more comfortable ride, and shares a fair amount of some of the veracruz's interior plushness and fit/finish...in fact, the Veracruz's interior, in many ways, seems to be a slightly larger and more complex version of the Santa Fe's. The two vehicles share some of the same general design inside. So, the smart shopper may just cross-shop the Veracruz with its own little brother right there at the other end of the showroom before running down the street to the Lexus or Acura store.

Review: 2007 Lotus Elise

In a Nutshell: A featherweight, kiddy-car for small adults that runs and handles like stink.

The late Colin Chapman, when he founded Lotus Cars, Inc. decades ago, had a firm philosophy for the design of automobiles... one that basically followed the laws of physics. That natural law was that, all other things equal, the lighter the car and the load it had to carry, the more efficiently the drivetrain, steering, and suspension could do their work, and the better it would perform on a race track in comparison to its rivals. History has shown that, in many ways, Chapman was... and is... correct. Weight is indeed the enemy of performance (and my big frame in the car didn't help much along those lines either).

Yes, Chapman was proved correct on many occasions... spread out over many years. I can remember, as a kid way back in the early 60's, watching renowned British racing drivers Jimmy Clark, Jimmy Stewart, and World Champion Sterling Moss brilliantly pilot their Lotus racers to victory after victory on the Grand Prix circuits all over the world. No doubt they were first-class drivers who knew how to get the most from a car, , but much of the credit has to go to Chapman's design philosophy of lighter-is-better. These cars, for a time, simply outaccelerated, outbraked, and outhandled their rivals from other automakers, and there was no stopping them.

In the mid-1960's, it was rear-engined Lotuses (and Andy Granetelli's ill-fated STP turbine cars) that led the shift away from the long-established front-engine/RWD Offenhausers at Indianapolis. And while the Ford GT and Chevy Chaparral stole the thunder from Ferrari at Le Mans and in the sports/GT class, Lotus continued to dominate F1 for some time....its featherweight cars were hard to beat.

Which brings us to today....the American market and my review. Despite their popularity in Europe, Lotus vehicles have never been popular in the U.S.....partly due to the decades-long stigma of British-car unreliability (which, believe me, had a lot of truth to it), and to their relatively high expense. Lotus marketed the long-running Esprit in the American market for awhile, then withdrew it for lack of sales. The car had ultra-racy looks...IMO it looked a lot like the Lamborghini Countach and later Diablo, but even though it sold for less than the typical Lambo, it still was a good chunk of money.....from dealerships and a manufacturer that had questionable commitment to the Ameerican market.

So, Lotus, still sticking with Chapman's no-extra-weight design philosophy (he would come back from the grave if they didn't), decided to start over again in the American market....with different products. Enter the Elise...a vehicle that had previously been sold in Europe, and the Exige, a hardtop, supercharged, somewhat modified version of the Elise, with a new Type 72 under development as we speak (see the attached Lotus website).

The Elise, in the American market, quickly developed a reputation as a Miata-beater in acceleration and handling, though, because of its $40,000-plus pricing and the sparsity of the Lotus dealer network (I had to travel almost 40 miles just to FIND a new Elise), never approached the Miata's popularity. And for the rough price of one Elise, you can have both his-and-her non-turbo Miatas in your garage. But value is not what the Elise is all about, as witnessed by its price, short 3-year warranty, and comparative rarity. One does not buy an Elise, even with its miniscule size, as an econobox, but as a sports car with world/class handling and acceleration from a small engine.

After all, Colin Chapman wouldn't have it any other way.

Model Reviewed: 2007 Lotus Elise

Base Price: $46,270

Major Options:
Limited-Slip Differential $1790
Metallic Paint $590
Sport Pack $2480
Touring Pack $1350
Removable Hard Top $1475
StarShield Protection Film $995
List Price as Reviewed: $54,950

Drivetrain: RWD, 1.8L Transverse/mid-engine DOHC, VTTL-i in-line 4, 190 HP @ 7800 RPM, Torque 134 ft.lbs. @ 6800 RPM,
6-speed close-ratio manual transmission with single-plate dry clutch.

Exterior Color: Solar Yellow Metallic

Interior: Black Leather with yellow body-color paint/trim and brushed-alumimum console and floorboards.

PLUSSES:


Toyota-derived engine and transmission should be reliable if not abused.

V8 muscle-car performance from a non-turbo 4 (at high RPM's).

Formula 1-like handling with almost zero body roll.

Non-assisted steering gives BMW-like road feel.

Instant steering response can avoid accidents.

Smooth, evenly-applied paint.

Effective brakes.

Generally attractive styling inside and out.

Key-Lockable Hood.

Simple, no-nonsense interior and controls....except for the stereo.

Seats shaped for FIRM support..if you are not too large.

Fairly legible gauges.

Solid-feeling shifter with large, ball-grip handle.

Good engine access from above for a mid-engine car.

Not a "me-too" car like a Camry or Accord....owning one is a unique experience for relatively few people.

Attractive, real brushed-aluminum, racing-style flip-out gas cap.

Many bright, cheery paint colors available.


MINUSES:

Steep price for a small sports car of this class.

Too short a warranty (3/36) with 8 years on aluminum corrosion

Bucking-bronco ride and noise level on rough roads.

Ultra-cramped for large people, with terrible ingress/egress.

Seats can be painful for wide butts.

Kiddy-car steering wheel.

Slightly notchy shift lever.

Very small cargo space.

Poor visibility to the sides and rear.

Too darty for prolonged straight-line driving and long trips.

Lightweight underpinnings could be easily bent with harsh impacts.

Impractical for everyday use.

A/C and defroster gremlins.

Metallic paint costs extra.

A potential coffin in a major accident.

Low-slung chassis and bodywork exposed to damage.

Limited market for resale.

Gas cap does not lock.

Wierd, insect-looking front end.

Odd, overly complex stereo controls, with relatively poor stereo sound.

No front-end storage compartment like on other mid-engine cars.

British assembly plant means questionable reliability, except for the Toyota-supplied drivetrain.

Insurance and repairs likely to be expensive and require special shops.


Well, needless to say, the first impression of this car, as you walk up to it, is (surprise?) that it is NOT a Chevy Suburban. This is not a vehicle for packing nine people into it, hauling their luggage, and towing a boat. In fact, this car is SO small that I took one look at the door, the roof, and the cabin, and I asked myself' "How in the hell am I going to even get INTO this car, much less DRIVE it?" And that is no small matter... I've been shoehorning myself into small sports cars for reviews and tests since the 1960's and the MG midget, but this car was a real challenge. I looked at the salesman besides me, and he shook HIS head as well. Well, get into it, I DID... with a LOT of effort, and drive it I DID... more on that in a minute. First, the exterior review...

Yes, this car is a super-midget on the outside...almost an oversized go-cart. But it generally has nice, attractive, flowing, classy lines and nicely done styling, though the headlights and parts of the front fenders, to me, had the look of a mutated insect. The car has an aluminum frame, aluminum underpinnings, and mostly fiberglass body parts, including a key-lockable, small, vented, flip-up fiberglas hood behind the cabin that is so light you can lift it and drop it with one finger. Unlike most mid-engine cars, there is no flip-up hood in front, just a couple of swoopy-shaped, fiberglass body pieces.....the car is so low and so small in front that there simply is no room for ANY forward trunk space, despite the lack of a front engine. A Mercedes-type, center-mounted, single wiper arm clears the windshield.

The paint is generally smooth, even, and well-done, although most of the paint colors available that I saw did not have a whole lot of gloss.....only the black had a deep enough shine to really see your face in (not surprising, since with most cars, black is usually the glossiest color). I will say this for Lotus.....I like their paint colors. Yes, there is the usual black and silver/gray, but the rest of the colors, unlike those of many manufacturers, don't look like something out of Murphy's Funeral Home. There is bright blue, bright yellow, bright red, bright orange, purple, and, of course, British Racing green......my car was Solar Yellow Metallic. Unfortunately, like much of the European-car tradition, metallics cost extra... this on a car that already is pushing $50,000 to start with.

The exterior hardware is just like most of the rest of the car... lightweight... though the non-power exterior mirrors, with accordion-like covers for the hinges, seem to be solidly attached. Most of the hardware outside is fiberglass or light aluminum...I particularly liked the racing-style, REAL aluminum (not imitation-aluminum plastic) flip-out gas cap, though Lotus declined, for some reason, to put a lock or an interior release on it to keep prying hands out. That's going to extremes to keep weight down.

Flip up the small, fiberglass hood (there is no separate cover for the trunk) and access to the 1.8L, VVT-i transverse-mounted engine, just behind the driver, is not bad for a mid-engine car (the car is so small you don't have to bend forward much to get at it). Those of you who are car-saavy will recognize this engine from the previous Toyota Matrix XRS, Celica GT-S, and Pontiac Vibe GT. That is no coincidence. Lotus contracted with Toyota to supply normally-aspirated versions of this engine for the Elise and supercharged versions for the Exige... and 6-speed manual transmissions for the American market. Lotus apparently felt that their traditional European powerplants didn't suit American driving conditions or American expectations of reliability, but the Toyota-supplied engine is quite peaky as well... more on that later. Fortunately, this engine doesn't have one of those ridiculous big plastic covers over it....most of what you need is readily accessible.

Behind the engine, under the flip-up hood, is a small, miniscule trunk. Lotus doesn't quote the volume in their brochure, but I would estimate it as around three cubic feet.... maybe slightly more with a small crevasse running back over the rear bumper. A T-shaped kiddy-emergency handle hangs down from the top of the cover (a kid old enough to know how to use it would be too big to fit in the trunk anyway...it is infant-sized). As I said earlier, this is NOT a car for family vacations.


Now... the HARD part... getting in. Yes, I acknowledge that I'm big, tall, and HEAVY, and not everyone would have quite the trouble I did... but even taking THAT into consideration, this is an absurdly difficult car to get into and out of. My car had the optional removable hard roof, and the top of the roof sat just a few feet off the ground. The doors are only about 18 inches or so tall, and the bottom of each of them opens up to expose a BIG, frame-rail cover that runs the length of each side of car, EXACTLY where you have to swing your feet getting in and out. So you've got an absurdly low roof sticking DOWN , an absurdly high side-frame sticking UP, and about two feet or so in between to squeeze your entire body through. I had to bend WAY down, stick my head in like a pretzel, turn 90 degrees in the seat, (and I still barely managed to clear the roof without wrenching my back and neck), slide my a** across BOTH seats and the shifter into the passenger's seat, then FORCE my feet up and over the side frame rails and slide BACK into the driver's seat, reach for the belts, click them on, and pull the lightweight, fiberglass door shut.

Once I got THAT done, the seats themselves sorely reminded me of why I myself need to shed some pounds. Like most of the car, they are designed to save weight...they are just simple, molded, aluminum shells that remind you of the seats on some military cargo planes, with little padding (a leather surface, of course), and HARD side bolsters that (very uncomfortably) dig right into the sides of my oversized rump....nonadjustable, of course; another way of keeping weight down. The seats adjust only fore-and-aft....I couldn't even find a rake adjustment, although there is probably one in there somewhere. I don't know of any car today that doesn't have rake adjustment, but even with it, there is simply no place to recline the seatback...the engine compartment is literally right behind the seat by a couple of inches. The steering column is also nonadjustable.....take it or leave it. For me, it cut off the very top of the primary gauges.

Now....one thing I DO like about the interior, despite the rubber-band contortions needed to get into it, is its simple, no-nonsense controls. There are a few oddities, like the combination key-button starter and the unusual, overly-complex stereo controls, and the stereo itself doesn't sound that great either. But the rest of the interior is retro-simple and reminds you of the way cars were designed many years ago, when keeping your eyes on the road was the main objective, and not scanning dozens of buttons and switches. The primary gauges are generally clear and easy to read, though the green numerals could have been done in a little better and more legible color. There are few buttons and switches, period, except for the aforementioned complex stereo buttons. There are dual power-window controls (I guess, with the electric motors, weight reduction goes out the window here) , but everything else inside is manual. The A/C and defrost functions, IMO, need a little more work. The A/C is a little weak (perhaps a small compressor to keep weight down), and the defrost system seems to have a difficult time keeping the inside of the windshield free from mist no matter where you set the fresh-air, recirc, or temp controls.

The steering wheel is only about a foot or so in diameter, and Lotus apparantly has not gone to a horn switch co-located with the air bag in the center of the wheel like most other cars have....the horn is activated by pressing on the side spokes, like horns used to be 10-15 years ago.

The interior has several large areas where there is no black at all to match the leather... the upper door panels are painted in body-color paint, and most of the lower console, footwells, and lower door panels appear to be bare brushed-aluminum. This is, truly, a SIMPLE interior... as simple as today's mass-production cars get.

Seeing OUT of this "simple" interior, however, is not so simple. The low roof, high doorsills, high engine compartment back of the driver, and small rear window all combine to impede vision out. This is compounded by the difficulty of getting the non-power mirrors exactly where you want them without them slipping back and the tendency of tall people to have their eye level at the windshield header. So, in this car, pay special attention when you want to change lanes.

OK...this is a pure drivers' car in every sense of the word, so let's do that... DRIVE. I normally keep a new engine off a dealer lot to 4000 RPM or so, but the sales people there told me redline was OK even on this new car....the engine was ready for it. So I took it past my usual limits, but still didn't abuse the car....that is just not my style.

Anyhow, start the engine with the rather odd key-button combination, and you immediately notice that the Lotus engineers gave the Elise a different exhaust note than the same engine in its other Toyota and Pontiac uses. After all, they are compact sports coupes and hatchbacks, This is a pure sports car, and sounds like one. The car's feathery lightweight construction, even with only 190 HP and a torque figure lower then that, gives a great power-to weight ratio. Lotus quotes a 4.9 second 0-60 time; this car didn't feel quite that fast, but part of that was the notorious DC-area heat and humidity of August, which drains power, and of course, the fact that I didn't slam the car around quite to its limits in traffic. And, of course, this is a Honda-style peaky VTEC four.....you have to rev the daylights out of it to get that power. I took it up to about 5500 or 6000, and you could just feel the power begin to come on round that RPM.....below that it was a little sluggish, with not much torque.

I generally liked the transmission (also Toyota-supplied), and especially liked the big, silver, Camaro SS-style ball shifter and the somewhat heavy, solid feel of the transmission itself. The linkage sha shift mechanism felt solid but a little notchy...I occasionally missed a shift, but it was generally easy to use. The clutch engaged about halfway off the floor...an ideal spot, IMO, and was smooth in its takeup.

The ride, as expected, was on the VERY firm side... I didn't expect a luxury car, so I wasn't surprised. That is one of the penalties of weight reduction, low stance/low suspension travel, and responsiveness. The ride, along with the high engine, road, and wind noise level, was tolerable on smooth roads, but any kind of bumps or pavement irregularities came crashing through the structure and steering column like a telephone line. The last car I can remember anywhere near as harsh as this one on a bumpy road was the Mitsubishi Evo I reviewed last year....even the Miata was smoother. The firm suspension, light weight, and low stance and center of gravity combine to produce FLAT cornering with almost no body roll...and the non-assisted manual steering gives a level of road feel that is almost BMW-like. Steering response, as expected in a mid-engine car this light, was darty and instantaneous... go-kart-like was the best way to describe it. Mid-engine Toyota MR2's I've driven tend to wander left and right and be difficult to keep in a a straight line, often requiring a lot of small steering corrections, but I didn't notice much of that in the Elise.....it tracked OK, but still was not what I would call an Interstate-straight cruiser by any means. This car LIVES for twisty curves.

The brakes are also excellent, with about an inch or so of wasted motion and mushiness in the pedal when you first push on it, but then they take hold smoothly, solidly, evenly, and with plenty of braking power....like with mid/rear-engine Porsches, the weight of the drivetrain, in this car, centers itself over all four wheels more or less equally on strong braking so that all four wheels do their equal share of the work, not with the front-end braking bias of front-engine cars and, especially, FWD cars. The light weight, of course, also contributes to short stopping distances.

But the brake and gas pedals, however, IMO, for a person with big shoes like me, leave a lot to be desired. Like most sports cars these days, they are lightweight, drilled aluminum, but the gas pedal is way forward of the brake pedal and in a narrow space to the left of it. You have to plant your right foot firmly against the side of the center console and push it forward significantly to find the gas pedal so you can give the car some gas while slowly letting the clutch out....otherwise it hangs up on the brake pedal. Lotus, like the manufaturers of some other cars I've recently driven, apparantly does not realize that some people have big shoes and that inadequate pedal spacing can not only be tricky but dangerous.

The verdict: Guys, before you sports-car purists start tossing rocks at me, I KNOW I was a little hard on this car, especially the kiddy-size interior. I know some of you are going to think I am being unfair and not looking at the car for what it is. But...if Lotus is going to market a car for Americans, and sell it in the American market, then IMO, it should accomodate typical Americans of larger-than-lemming size (But that, of course, is not an excuse for me not losing weight, either, like I should). And this car, while, yes, admittedly, a lot of fun under the conditions it WAS designed for, simply does not do that.....accomodate larger-than-average Americans. It is a midget-sized car for small adults....and if you have to get OUT of this car in a hurry (say you go off a bridge and end up underwater or if it catches fire), then all I can say is good luck.

This is not a car that I would recommend as a daily driver/commuter or as a car for long trips, especially for tall people like me with wide butts and torsos. It is pricey, will likely command high insurance premiums, will be expensive and difficult to repair after an accident because of its many fiberglass and aluminum parts, and is just not well-suited to the rigors of everyday, suburban driving....especially with its mandatory stick-shift and lack of an automatic or semiautomatic option. Its difficulty of entry/exit borders on the absurd for any normal-sized or larger adults, and the seats are simply too narrow and too harsh for larger people. Its pedal spacing, again, is tricky for big feet, and takes getting used to. Its ride is very stiff on anything but glass-smooth roads, and it sits so low that underbody components can be easily damaged on the road. And don't even think about getting in a major accident with this car......it is not a pleasant thought.

No, this car is obviously designed for the track.. and for smooth, twisty roads. For a small-to-medium-sized adult to drive it in its proper environment, there's no doubt it is a LOT of fun. It would be a great weekend car for a fairly well-heeled person who can fit in it.....$50,000 is, of course, a lot to spend for a weekend toy. As I said in my opening statement, you can have two Miatas for this price......and the Miata is not so awkwardly shaped and terribly cramped for large people any more, with its new redesign a couple of years ago.

But, again, in a nutshell... for a small, PURE, driver-centered, no-nonsense driving machine, short of a six-figure price tag, there simply is no other... or better... machine available in the American market than the Elise and its supercharged Exige brother.

And.... again... Colin Chapman wouldn't have it any other way.